Cristiano Ronaldo has come a long way from the small tin-roofed home in Madeira, Portugal where he grew up. The 35-year-old was a forward on Spain’s Real Madrid FC for nine years before signing a four-year contract with Italian Serie A club Juventus in July 2018. He also plays for the Portuguese national team.
According to Forbes, Cristiano Ronaldo was the second-highest-paid soccer player in the world in 2020, making $117 million.1 This is the second year in a row in which Ronaldo has lost out to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi for the top spot in the rankings.2 In 2018, when Ronaldo moved to Juventus, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner made $108 million—$61 million in salary or winnings and another $47 million from endorsements.3
Celebrity Net Worth pegs the soccer star's net worth at $500 million.4
Early Life
Ronaldo grew up on the Portuguese island of Madeira in the city of Funchal. Born to a cook and a gardener and equipment manager, he came from less-than-modest means.
At age 11, Ronaldo moved from Madeiro to Lisbon to play soccer at the academy for Sporting Lisbon CP. In an essay published in The Players’ Tribune, he recalled being homesick often.5 His parents could only afford to visit him every four months, and he remembers playing soccer to keep himself from feeling lonely. “Football kept me going,” he wrote.
At 17 years old, Ronaldo made his debut with Sporting Lisbon's first team. IA year later, in 2003, he signed with Manchester United.
Ronaldo is one of the most followed athletes on social media with nearly 466 million followers: 239.5 million on Instagram, 138.1 million on Facebook, and 88.2 million on Twitter.
Ronaldo is tied with rival Lionel Messi for receiving the honor of being named FIFA’s Player of the Year five times. Having scored 451 goals in 438 games, he is the top scorer in the history of the association. He helped Real Madrid win four of five possible Champions League titles from 2013 to 2018, and he captained the Portuguese national team in their 2016 Euro triumph.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Business Interests
Ronaldo has a lifetime contract with Nike Inc. worth reportedly around $1 billion.6 Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the only other athletes with similar deals. He also has deals and sponsorships with many other companies including Herbalife Nutrition, KFC, American Tourister, and Tag Heuer. Perhaps Ronaldo’s most unique partnership is with Egyptian Steel, a company trying to gain market share in Egypt.
The soccer star has his own clothing line called CR7, which includes children’s clothes modeled by his son. Ronaldo also has hotels that are branded under the CR7 Line through the Pestana Lifestyle Hotels. Forbes has reported that Ronaldo plans to open restaurants in Brazil.
The 35-year-old athlete has two smartphone apps: CR7Selfie and Cristiano Ronaldo: Kick’n’Run. Portugal even has a Ronaldo museum called the Museu CR7.
Ronaldo has quite the car collection. He owns a Maserati, Lamborghini, and Bugatti, among other luxury cars. He also owns multiple houses including a villa in Madrid worth over $5 million.
Tax Evasion
In 2018, Ronaldo was accused of evading €14.7 million in taxes. Reuters reported he reached a deal with Spanish authorities to settle the case and pay an €18.8 million ($21.8 million) fine, which was announced just before his first match in the 2018 World Cup.7 Under the deal, Ronaldo would have received a suspended two-year jail sentence. However, under Spanish law, first-time offenders who receive a sentence of under two years can serve probation instead, so he is unlikely to serve any jail time.
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